Leading a multi-disciplinary team of highly specialized professionals, Manju works with RBC’s largest and most complex clients, enterprising families, and their family offices to assist them with their specialized needs, including complex generationally led reorganizations. Prior to joining the Enterprise Strategic Client Group, Manju was a member of RBC’s Law Group as Assistant General Counsel. She managed RBC's external counsel program and initiatives, leading the International Wealth Management legal team. Qualified to practice both in England & Wales and Ontario, Canada, Manju has worked in both private practice and in-house in corporate, commercial, derivatives, banking and finance.
David Baum integrates 30 years of experience as a nationally respected expert in deep change. His work includes conflict mediation in Northern Ireland, facilitating President Clinton’s Summit for America’s Future, and designing walking conflict resolution meetings in the Middle East. He has worked with Jane Goodall, Oprah Winfrey, Rwandan President Paul Kigame and President Bill Clinton. He holds two Doctorates; the first in psychology from Temple University, the second in divinity from Naropa. He is the author of two books; “Lightening in a Bottle: Lessons in Leading Change” and “The Randori Principles”.
Aidan specializes in business development at Kingston Midstream, a Canadian infrastructure company with pipeline operations and petroleum marketing activities in Western Canada.
Prior to joining Kingston Midstream, Mr. Richardson was Vice President of Engineering at Katal Energy Inc, after starting his career as a production engineer at Birchcliff Energy.
He holds a Bachelor of Applied Sciences (BASc) degree in Geological Engineering from Queen’s University, is a registered Professional Engineer and a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) and has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oxford.
Mr. Richardson currently serves on the boards of Valent Low-Carbon Technologies Corp, Portage Energy Group, and the Trans Canada Trail Foundation.
Aidan and his wife Malea Richardson moved from London, UK to Calgary in 2023 and welcomed their first child in October of this year.
Aliya Rota is a third-generation family member of an Alberta-based and privately-owned real estate development company, Cameron Corporation.
She holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Certificate in Leadership from the University of Alberta, a Master of Professional Accounting from the University of Saskatchewan, and in 2022, received her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation. During the first five years of her profession, she worked in the audit practice of a Big Four firm and with one of Canada’s largest institutional investment managers in its sustainable investing function. She has recently started working for her family, leading the efforts to set-up their single-family office.
Aliya has immersed herself in the abundance of educational and development opportunities available to NextGens including the RBC hosted Scone Conference, the EY NextGen Academy at the Kellogg School of Management, the NEXUS Global Summit, and Families Summit of Minds.
Outside of her professional career and NextGen role, she has held board positions in a number of nonprofits in support of the arts and financial literacy. In her spare time, she is part of a dance ensemble and enjoys skiing in the Rockies in the winter and spending time at the lake in the summer.
Andrea Reisman Johnson is an entrepreneur and investor with experience in eCommerce and digital consumer services. Andrea is the co-founder and CEO of Rally Reader, the only digital literacy platform with a powerful triple advantage: a nearly limitless supply of the best books on the market, real-time reading feedback, and the best tools to motivate kids to keep reading.
Andrea was co-founder and CEO of ThisLife (2009-2013), a complete cloud solution for protecting, organizing, and sharing photos and videos. ThisLife was acquired by Shutterfly (SFLY) in 2013 and is now a key component of one of the largest photo platforms in North America. Prior to ThisLife, she served as the director of e-commerce for Pottery Barn. Andrea is a corporate director of Indigo Books & Music, Inc. and the board chair of Dartmouth’s Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship.
Andrea holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She lives in California and Colorado and has three awesome kids and a poorly-behaved dog.
Brendan Smith is currently Director, Specialized Finance at Equitable Bank. He has ten years' experience in financial services within real estate and commercial banking.
Brendan graduated with a bachelor of commerce from the Ted Rogers School of Management and holds a CFA designation.
Residing in Toronto with his wife, Emily, and 15-month-old daughter, Lyla, Brendan enjoys soccer, skiing, reading, scotch, and travel, as well as spending time with his 15-year-old Old English Sheepdog/Samoyed mix.
Chris Galifi is the CEO of Giampaolo Group and serves its board of directors.
Prior to being named CEO in January 2022, Chris was COO of Giampaolo Group and was responsible for the group’s sales and operations. He began his career with the Giampaolo Group in 2011 and served in various roles of increasing responsibilities at Quantum Lifecycle Partners, Venture Steel, Matalco and Triple M Metal, focusing on financial, commercial, procurement, operations, and continuous improvement before moving to the Giampaolo Group.
Prior to joining Giampaolo Group, Chris worked in several roles with Magna International before founding a waste and recycling business which was ultimately sold to Miller Waste Systems. It was here that Chris’ focus on contributing to a sustainable and circular economy began. Today, sustainability and circularity play a critical role in guiding the Giampaolo Group’s growth.
Chris earned his BASc in mechanical engineering from the University of Toronto. In his leisure time he spends time with his wife and three boys, aged 6, 8 and 10.
Jordan Carlson is President, Anthem Holdings Canada and Senior Vice President, Investment Group for Anthem Properties at large. In these roles, he oversees the operations of an 8.5 million square foot income-producing property portfolio comprised of retail centres, office buildings, industrial buildings, and multifamily rental buildings across Western Canada, including the oversight of the asset management, leasing, property management, and accounting teams and functions servicing the real estate. Additionally, he leads the acquisitions function for the entire company, and works closely with equity partners ranging from public pension plans to high-net-worth individuals. He also serves on the Executive, People, Education, Communications, and Giving teams. Prior to Anthem, Jordan worked as a commercial real estate broker at CBRE on the National Investment Team, Vancouver. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Victoria, where he graduated with Distinction.
Outside of the office, Jordan sits on the Board of Directors for NAIOP Vancouver (a commercial real estate development association), is a long-time member of the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation’s Young Professionals Committee, works with the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business as an executive mentor, and is a frequent speaker at various industry events and presentations.
Jordan and his wife, Aly, proudly raise their two kids, Cole (7) and Piper (4) in Deep Cove in North Vancouver. Jordan is a passionate skier and mountain biker, a voracious reader, and really enjoys coffee (and wine).
Katharine Fountain is a musician, artist and investor from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
A graduate of McGill University (Bachelor of Commerce, 2014) and Berklee College of Music (Bachelor of Music, 2019, Summa Cum Laude), she has pursued a unique path that fuses creativity with business prowess.
As a musician, Katharine works across various disciplines. In 2024, she made her Canadian debut as a sound designer and composer for theatre at the National Arts Centre of Canada, with the sold-out immersive escape experience titled “MYÜZ”. Independently, Katharine is a singer, songwriter and producer making electronic pop music under the name FOUNTAINS. In addition to writing music, she also works on the software tools used to create it, and has collaborated with the likes of Cherry Audio, Ableton and others on their virtual software instruments and sample collections.
Katharine is a member of The Global Network of Women & Non-Binary Music Producers organized by the National Arts Centre of Canada. With this group, she recently completed a successful studio tour and cultural exchange in conjunction with the Eisteddfod in Wales, UK. Katharine is an advisory board member of We Make Noise, a US based nonprofit focused on harnessing the power of music and technology to advance global gender equity within the music industry. Katharine seeks to help other women in the arts achieve their goals through providing accessibility to some of the opportunities that she has been fortunate to have received.
Katharine is a passionate advocate for animal rights and protection, which is illustrated through her ongoing support of the Nova Scotia SPCA and Animal Rescue League of Boston. She is also interested in helping to create resources for all people facing challenges with mental health and addiction, and is currently seeking ways to get more involved in these important causes.
In addition to her musical pursuits, Katharine has taken an active role in her family’s investment company, the Great Eastern Corporation. She continues to embrace responsibility and leadership within this avenue in tandem with her work as an artist.
Katharine is looking forward to meeting and learning from the next generation of leaders and innovators within the Global Leadership Council, and is honoured to have been selected as one of this year’s participants.
Katie Sheedy is a 4th generation member of the family, joining the business after gaining work experience, in the finance area, outside of the company. From March 2020 to 2024, she held various roles in the Finance department of Cowan Insurance Group and transitioned into the operations of the business in March 2024 as Director of Commercial Programs and Broker Services. In addition, she is VP, Fountain Street Finance, which provides premium financing to Cowan Insurance Clients, serves on the Investment Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Cowan Foundation. Katie holds both CPA and RIBO (Registered Insurance Broker of Ontario) designations.
Lindsay Stollery Jephcott is the CIO and co-founder of Lume Women & Health. She is the CIO and co-owner of the Angus Glen and Kylemore Group of Companies. Lindsay chairs the board of Clearview Resources Ltd. She holds a BSc from Dalhousie University, an MBA from The Rotman School of Management and her ICD.D designation. Prior to joining Kylemore/Angus Glen, Lindsay was an institutional oil and gas trader at Tristone Capital and in institutional sales at Horizons ETFs.
Lindsay co-chairs the Angus Glen Foundation. She sits on the Audit and Finance Committee of the Sunnybrook Foundation and co-chairs the Sunnybrook Golf Tournament, raising money for women's health initiatives. From 2014 - 2018, Lindsay served on the board of Canada Company and on the board of governors of the Rothesay Netherwood School from 2010 - 2014. She sat on the board of governors for the Alberta Business Hall of Fame - Southern Alberta from 2015 - 2017.
Lindsay lives with her husband and four children in Toronto and is an avid golfer, tennis player and skier/snowboarder. With her husband, she owns several vacation rental properties and they share a love of travel, music and the arts. She writes children's books; the first published was "Adventure Van and the Travelling Clan".
Madison Isaacman is a Vice President at DiamondCorp, a Toronto based developer with a reputation for delivering innovative, high-quality and award-winning communities. She leads the acquisition program and is responsible for deal sourcing, underwriting, and negotiating. Madison also provides oversight of key projects through the development life cycle and implements the company’s operational initiatives.
Madison is an active member of the community and is involved with numerous organizations including the United Jewish Appeal where she co-chaired the Walk for Israel in 2023 to a record breaking fundraise. Prior to joining DiamondCorp, Madison held positions with RioCan REIT and the Royal Bank of Canada. She earned her MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Madison lives in Toronto with her husband and their three sons, aged 9, 7, and 4.
Malcolm Cockwell is a Registered Professional Forester focused on sustainable forest management. He holds a BSc and PhD in forestry from the University of Toronto.
Malcolm is the Managing Director of Haliburton Forest, a sustainable multi-use private land stewardship company that owns and manages 250,000 acres of private timberlands, participates in the management of over 1 million acres of Crown timberlands in Ontario, and operates four hardwood sawmills as well as a biochar production facility.
Malcolm is also the Chair and principal shareholder of Acadian Timber Corp, a sustainable forest management company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange that owns and manages 1.1 million acres of private timberlands in New Brunswick and Maine, and provides management services to a further 1.3 million acres of Crown timberlands in New Brunswick.
Malcolm serves as Chair of Forests Ontario, director of the Ontario Forest Industries Association, and independent director of GreenGold Group AB, a leading European private timberland company headquartered in Sweden.
Margaret Irving grew up in New Brunswick, Canada. She received her BA in Anthropology from Harvard College and MSc in Visual, Material, and Museum Anthropology from the University of Oxford, after which she worked in communications and corporate reputation at Edelman in London. She subsequently held roles in investing and industrials management with Ocean Capital in New Brunswick prior to obtaining her MBA from Harvard Business School. Margaret currently advises endowments and foundations on investment portfolio management with Ocean Capital Holdings in Boston.
In 2018, Matthew founded Lipsi - a social app, which grew to be the most viral platform in North America. Lipsi amassed 30 million users over the course of 2 years with a team of just 3 developers. Matthew and his team worked closely with Perspective API, Google’s flagship AI platform at the time, in order to develop advanced AI filtering mechanisms that safeguarded over a billion messages facilitated through the platform.
In 2021, 3 weeks before the pandemic, Matthew founded a B2C mental health platform that connected teens in Canada and the US with licensed professionals, which helped bridge the gap in adolescent mental health care. In addition, Matthew provides strategic counsel to a stealth-mode daycare and medspa rollup initiative, continuing his mission of innovative, community-centered solutions.
Matthew holds a BA in Economics from Yale University. He also served as a member of Yale’s varsity rowing team and set two world records during his 4-year degree.
Michael Wesik has worked as a professional artist in the medium of photography since 2010. He also works as a Director of the Wesik Family Business Council, which represents the ownership and stewardship of Wesgroup Properties, a Vancouver-based real estate development company. At Wesgroup, Michael’s role is primarily in the areas of strategic planning, governance, philanthropy, and systemic investment. Michael is a health-and-fitness enthusiast, and is very passionate about dogs. He is certified in K-9 first aid.
Sam Armoyan currently serves as the Vice President at G2S2 Capital, where he spearheads a range of multifaceted development projects spanning Quebec and Atlantic Canada, while also overseeing a spectrum of investments.
He oversees various facets of the business from building operations, subdivision and multi-family planning and development, homebuilding, builder and city relations to sales of both commercial and residential real estate.
Since 2016, Sam has been a dedicated member of the company, having joined full-time following the completion of his Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University. G2S2 Capital is the Armoyan Family’s investment holding company that focuses on creating value across a variety of industries ranging from residential and commercial real estate, hospitality, energy all the way to Sports. G2S2 is based in Halifax with offices in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, across the US.
Sarah Hayden is a Senior Product Marketing Lead at Apple in London, where she has spent over 12 years developing and leading marketing initiatives across EMEA. With a strong focus on creating impactful campaigns, Sarah specializes in areas such as education, privacy, sustainability, and accessibility. Her strategic efforts have consistently driven significant growth and ensured that the marketing campaigns meet and exceed key performance indicators.
In addition to her corporate role, Sarah is currently a trustee board member of ART UK and has been involved with the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, contributing to projects that foster positive social change. She excels in collaboration, working closely with diverse teams at Apple and building strategic partnerships to enhance impact.
Holding a Master’s in Cultural Studies and English Literature from the University of Edinburgh, Sarah combines creativity with data-driven insights to effectively engage audiences and drive results. Committed to ensuring that marketing efforts are both innovative and meaningful, she strives to make a lasting impact in every initiative she undertakes.
Steven Libfeld is the CEO of Tribute Communities, a distinguished leader in the Canadian homebuilding industry with over 25 years of experience. Under his leadership, Tribute Communities has become a powerhouse in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), having successfully built over 40,000 homes and condominiums. Steven’s visionary approach and commitment to excellence have solidified Tribute Communities as a trusted name synonymous with quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction.
Throughout his career, Steven has been dedicated to creating vibrant, sustainable communities that enhance the lives of residents across the GTA. His expertise spans all facets of the construction and real estate industries, from land acquisition, property management, retail commercial development to residential construction and design. This comprehensive knowledge, combined with a passion for building, has driven the consistent success of Tribute Communities.
Steven’s leadership has earned Tribute Communities numerous industry accolades, reflecting his commitment to excellence and his ability to adapt to evolving market trends. His dedication is one of growth, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to meet the highest standards of craftsmanship and design.
Beyond his professional achievements, Steven is known for his philanthropic efforts and active involvement in community initiatives, further exemplifying his commitment to building not just home, but thriving communities.
Lauren has spent most of her career in marketing and strategy, starting with packaged goods marketing for PepsiCo in Canada and the UK. Following her MBA from London Business School, Lauren worked with several early stage companies on strategy and operations. Lauren is a long-time champion of mental health, which she most recently channelled into establishing the Daymark Foundation on behalf of her family. Lauren is also a Director of McCain Capital and Chairman Mills.
Lauren Frisch is the Director of Marketing at Kohl & Frisch, a 108-year-old company and leading national pharmaceutical and healthcare distributor in Canada. She is responsible for leading the company’s marketing efforts and developing strategies to enhance its positioning across Canada. Prior to this role, Lauren worked for Saks Fifth Avenue and Hill+Knowlton Strategies in marketing and brand management positions. Lauren has experience developing and spearheading marketing programs focused on client acquisition and development, as well as managing the strategic planning and execution of communications activities, events, and special projects.
Lauren and her husband, Jeff Lanes, have three young children and a dog, and moved to Toronto from NYC early last year.
Neil Jain is the President and CEO of Soneil Group of Companies, overseeing all divisions, including real estate and electronics. He is responsible for the overall strategic and financial management of the company. With extensive experience in both real estate and engineering, Neil has significantly expanded Soneil’s real estate portfolio from $100 million to over $1.5 billion since he took charge in 2017, all without raising external equity.
Neil has held various engineering and investment roles within Soneil and has also gained valuable experience at Dream Global REIT, Apple Inc., and McKinsey & Company. He earned his Master of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto in 2017, graduating on the Dean’s List with a specialization in finance and real estate. Additionally, he holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Neil is a proud member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Toronto.
Residing in Toronto with his wife and two sons, Neil enjoys traveling, playing golf, and exploring new cocktail bars and restaurants.